Nothing to stop me from running – Binay

Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday declared that nothing will stop him from pursuing his bid for the presidency in 2016 even if one of his possible running mates will decide to run under the administration party.

”I will definitely push my candidacy whoever is my opponent,” Binay said in a radio interview when asked to comment on reports that some members of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) are considering Sen. Grace Poe as its standard-bearer.

Binay admitted that Poe is one of those being considered as his running mate.

”That is possible. [But] It needs careful study and the question is, can I convince her [Poe]?” he said.

Binay added that there are many who want to be his running mate but “I will choose who has experience and capability.”

Despite his 6-percentage point drop in the latest Pulse Asia survey, the Vice President still leads the potential candidates for President in the 2016 polls with 26 percent.

Ahead of those elections, Binay said he is bracing himself for more attacks as he revealed on Monday that former Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado tried but failed to convince their common friends in the United States to turn against him.

“Yong complainant namin nagpunta sa Amerika. Alam na namin kung ano ‘yong mga pinagpupuntahan niya. Pinagpipilitan niyang tumestigo at gumawa ng istorya [The one complaining against us went to the United States. We already know what places he went to. He was pressuring people in those places to testify and make up stories against us],” he added in a statement over the weekend in Pampanga, referring to Mercado.

He said Mercado and his companions took photos of some pieces of property in the US that he will use when he appears before the Senate.
According to the Vice President, he expects Mercado to show the photos when the Senate blue ribbon committee resumes its investigation of allegations of wrongdoing while he was the mayor of Makati City (Metro Manila).

At the same time, the Vice President welcomed the statement of Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio delos Reyes that there are no documents to show that Binay owns the Sunchamp property in Rosario, Batangas, as claimed by his political detractors.

Sunchamp says it is the owner of the property. What were transferred to Agrifortyna are a few CLOA where it is shown that the Vice President is an incorporator, but he already stated this in the past, and that property is leased by Sunchamp],” delos Reyes said in a television interview last week.

“Hindi ho ako naniniwala [I don’t believe so],” he replied when pressed if he believed that the Vice President owned the Rosario property.
But Binay said he expects more attacks against him.